7 great things to do in Cape Town this weekend

Our pick of seven of the best events and things to do in Cape Town this weekend from Friday, 21 June to Sunday, 23 June 2013.

Pick any weekend of the year in Cape Town and you’re bound to find a host of events planned through our hip and happening city. For starters, the winter solstice arrives on 21 June to mark the colder season’s midpoint, and, incidentally, Jade Lounge is throwing yet another scintillating Saturday evening jol. What’s more, Artscape Theatre comes alive with three exciting choices in music, dance, and kids’ performances, and a Northern Suburb festival gives locals and visitors a chance to escape the city centre for a wine tasting smorgasbord. Lastly, 19 June commemorates the 100-year point since the SA Land Act, and to pay homage to the reversal of the devastating legislation, a grand exhibition and concert are scheduled to transform the CTICC.

Nightlife pick of the weekend: Reversing the Legacy - FREE Zahara and Chad Saaiman Concert 
It’s been 100 years since the Land Act was passed on 19 June 1913 to segregate people of different races and deprive people of colour of the right to own land in certain areas. To commemorate the reversal of this devastating Apartheid-era legislation and celebrate South Africa’s transformation, the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform invites people of all ages to a free exhibition and concert featuring Chad Saaiman, Zahara Mkutukane and DJ Malinga on Friday at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). The exhibition takes visitors on a journey through the time of displacements with interactive recreations of District Six and Sophiatown, enactments of houses being bulldozed and TV screens showing the country’s more triumphant moments. The concert brings the two-day event to a joyful close and reminds visitors that, even with struggles still ahead, there’s still plenty of reason to rejoice. The exhibits are open from 9am, and the concert is from 7pm to 10pm.  Entry is FREE!

2. Jersey Boys in Cape Town
Head down to the Artscape Theatre this Friday-through-Sunday to check out the opening weekend of the internationally acclaimed performance Jersey Boys. The story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, the award-winning musical follows the group’s rise to fame by way of their most popular hits, including ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’, ‘Oh What a Night’ and ‘Sherry’. Tickets for Jersey Boys are available via Computicket.com or at Computicket outlet and cost R100p/p, R150p/p, R190p/p, R250p/p, R290p/p or R390p/p, depending on seats. Pensioners, students and learners pay R150p/p for the Sunday 6pm performance. Shows start at 8pm on Friday, at 3pm and 8pm on Saturday and at 2pm and 6pm on Sunday.

3. Jade Lounge’s Champagne Saturday
If basking in sophistication with a sparkling glass of bubbly sounds like your dream evening, then Jade Lounge’s Champagne Saturday is the perfect place for you this weekend. Don your highest heels or finest blazer and join the in-crowd at this elegant Green Point bar’s weekly event. Sip on a wide variety of top-shelf French Champagnes and local Method Cap Classiques (as well as Jade Lounge’s usual range of Western Cape wines, popular spirits, and cocktails) while resident DJs play commercial, house and even old-school classics. There is no cover fee for Jade Lounge’s Champagne Saturday, but there is a strict door policy. No under-23s are admitted. 

4. Cape Gate We Luv Wine Festival
Fight the winter blues this Friday with the Cape Gate We Luv Wine Festival. With over 100 different wines available for tasting and purchase, the Brackenfell fiesta promises something for everyone, whether you yearn for a bold red, sprightly white, rich port or a strong brandy. Key wineries featured include Hidden Valley, Du Toitskloof, Lourensford Wine Estate, Avontuur Estate and Checkers Oddbins. And if wines alone are not enough to entice you, a range of olives, cheese and chocolate will also be available for pairings and samplings along with home-cooked meals from the Northern Suburb charity Shiloh Synergy. Tickets for the We Luv Wine Festival cost R50p/p and are available via Ticketbreak.co.za or at the information desk in the Cape Gate Centre. Tickets will also be available at the door. The festival starts at 5pm.

5. Make Way for Noddy at the Artscape Theatre
Can’t decide what to do with your kids now that they’re on school holiday? Have no fear; Make Way for Noddy is here in town for a two-week run, starting this Saturday, at the Artscape Theatre. Based on the children’s series by Enid Blyton, the adorable act featuring Noddy, the wooden boy and taxi driver, and friends Big Ears, Tessie Bear, Mr Plod and Bumpy Dog sets out to entertain little ones with an endearing misadventure. This time, it’s Tessie Bear’s birthday, and Noddy must overcome insomnia-stricken gnomes and sly goblins to find her the perfect gift. Tickets for Make Way for Noddy at the Artscape cost R60p/p and are available at Computicket.com, Computicket outlets and at the Artscape Box Office by calling +27 (0)21 421 7695. It is advised to book tickets beforehand. The show is on daily—except on Sundays—at 10:30am until 6 July.

6.iKapa Dance Theatre Presents My Space?
If dance is your passion—or envy—join the masses at iKapa Dance Theatre Presents My Space? this weekend only at the Artscape Theatre. Following an international tour, the Cape Town-based neo-classical company will explore the idea of space (my space, your space, controlled space) through three choreographed dances. Each technically demanding piece investigates the sense of power or feelings of rejection and displacement that often accompany the ideas of separate or communal space. Tickets for iKapa Dance Theatre Presents My Space? cost R100p/p or R50p/p for students, scholars and pensioners and are available via Computicket.com and Computicket outlet. The show starts at 8:15pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

7. Die Platteland Market at The Palms
Make the Die Platteland Market at The Palms as much a staple of your Saturday as down-to-earth country foods are a staple of your home life. This Woodstock market—it’s indoors—prides itself on whisking visitors back to the kitchens of their childhood with home-made South African delicacies like country pies, marmalades, breakfast pancakes, biltong, droëwors and quiche. With more than 40 traders present each week, the heart-warming bazaar gives visitors the chance to sample real food made by real people from real recipes, many of which have been passed down through the generations. The market is open every Saturday from 9am to 2pm, and twice a month live music acts are included as market entertainment. The weekly event is perfect for the whole family, and there is no entry fee. 

by Cyprien Pearson and Tshego Tee Letsoalo

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Want to celebrate winter’s halfway mark with delicious food? Check out our picks of the best winter specials and deals in Cape Town.

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